Wednesday, September 16, 2009

The Pumpkin Baby

Early this spring I was on a college visit with my son and encountered a small statue on the campus of Ball State University. The piece is called "Frog Baby". Something about it instantly captured my imagination. The child is shown in a pose of absolute rapture, smiling and raising her eyes to the heavens, completely oblivious to the plight of the two frogs that she is holding on the brink of death. I stewed over this image for a few days, and began building my version which I have called "Pumpkin Baby". This was my most difficult piece to date, involving many hours of trial and error in pose, sculpt and painting.

I am in awe of this piece. From the detail of the little skeletons he holds, to the brilliants of the seeds spilling out of his belly on to his legs. I love that it looks like he emerged from the pumpkin, his little tail, and the faux moss looks incredible. A true art piece.

I'm always intrigued by how large you work, Dave. I imagine that you have some massive storehouse constructed somewhere, patrolled by slavering goons and chittering things.

Curiosities aside, this is a terrific example of translating a perfectly innocent scene into a composition that cuts right to the core of Halloween. Of the work you've shared, this is the one that appears born out of the mythic tradition. I'd love for someone to commission you to do a permanent installation of this.

Thank you everyone. The aging techniques on this were very challenging to maintain a natural and random look. I have been asked to write up a primer on this very subject to post as a guest blogger on Grimvisions...look for it in the next few days.

About Me

I have been an avid Halloween yard haunter for many years. As my hobby has grown, I have developed a taste for eccentric characters and deep backstories. I have learned a ton since I first decided to build my own scary stuff, and have attempted to take my building to a new artistic level with each new piece.